Deleted
by Kitsune Ria
Summary: A one-shot with Taro and Lain. A little contemplative, but worth the reading.


Disclaimer: I don't own Serial Experiments Lain or any of its characters. I also do not own 'Politik' by Coldplay.  
  
~*~  
  
*Look at earth from outer space,*  
  
The night was cold, and Taro sat on the grass by the sleeping bay, watching the stars fall silent.  
  
*Everyone must find a place.*  
  
He sighed and nuzzled the back of his head into the ground further.  
  
*Give me time, don't give me space.*  
  
His life,  
  
His life seemed utopian.  
  
. . .  
  
To others at least . . .  
  
*Give me real, don't give me fake.*  
  
There was always something missing . . . though he could never put his finger on it.  
  
He tried desperately to like Myu Myu.  
  
But nothing he tried, ever worked.  
  
He knew it deep down,  
  
The fear that had overwhelmed him time and time again,  
  
The fear that he always came back to on nights like this,  
  
The fear-  
  
And the hope-  
  
That he loved another . . .  
  
*Give me strength, reserved control.*  
  
Something was eating at his heart.  
  
That thing-  
  
That little thing-  
  
Oh god! What was it?  
  
Better yet,  
  
Who was it?!  
  
*Give me heart and give me soul,*  
  
Taro slowly began to rise out of his position in the grass when something caught his eye-  
  
Or rather,  
  
His heart.  
  
*Give me time, give us a kiss,*  
  
A young girl.  
  
Standing on the narrow bridge  
  
Pink jacket flapping with the wind.  
  
All she did was stare at the water with an expressionless face.  
  
*Tell me your own politik.*  
  
Taro couldn't stop staring at her.  
  
Her brown hair-  
  
Her reddish hazel eyes-  
  
Her braid of hair with an 'X' band that tumbled down in front of her face.  
  
*Open up your eyes, Open up your eyes.*  
  
But she never smiled.  
  
Taro wanted her to smile.  
  
She was beautiful.  
  
Something that was eating inside him stopped, faced the girl, and slowly disappeared.  
  
. . .  
  
Could this-  
  
This girl-  
  
But he just saw her-  
  
That wouldn't make sense-  
  
But her eyes-  
  
Her face-  
  
Something about her-  
  
That girl-  
  
*Open up your eyes, Open up your eyes.*  
  
He didn't know what about his nature liked her, but something was there.  
  
He knew this girl.  
  
He was sure of it.  
  
He didn't know from where,  
  
But he knew her.  
  
He wanted to talk to her,  
  
Get to know her.  
  
Share her secrets.  
  
Anything.  
  
*Just open up your eyes.*  
  
As he stood up to walk towards the bridge, he stopped and widened his eyes.  
  
She pulled the band out from her braid and let her hair dance in front of her face.  
  
She took off her jacket without hesitation despite the freezing weather.  
  
She let go of it and watched it fly in the wind.  
  
She then smiled.  
  
*Give me one, cause one is best.*  
  
Taro nearly melted at that smile.  
  
It nearly knocked him off his feet.  
  
But he was quickly shot back to reality at what she did next.  
  
*In confusion, confidence,*  
  
She kicked her shoes off her feet and grabbed onto the railing.  
  
She then lifted her left leg over the rusted metal bar and soon did the same for her right.  
  
. . .  
  
She was standing on the edge.  
  
*Give me piece of mind and trust,*  
  
Taro sucked in his breath and began to run down the hill, knowing what he had to do.  
  
Or rather,  
  
Knowing what he must prevent.  
  
*Don't forget the rest of us.*  
  
He ran as fast as his teen legs could carry him.  
  
He couldn't let her die.  
  
She had one hand on the handle bar and was leaning forward,  
  
Letting her hair band escape her fingers and fly with the wind.  
  
*Give me strength reserve control.*  
  
"NO! Stop! PLEASE!!!" Taro screamed as he ran down the grassy hill after the spot where the young girl stood.  
  
As he ran, he tried to remember who she was as she became more and more familiar by the second.  
  
*Give me heart and give me soul!*  
  
She was smiling sweetly now.  
  
Taro ran faster.  
  
*Wounds that heal and cracks that fix.*  
  
He finally made it down the hill.  
  
He just needed to get to the girl!  
  
Why wouldn't his legs move any quicker?!  
  
The girl finally turned as Taro looked up at her, still running.  
  
She whispered her own final words.  
  
". . . I erased myself. But I never really left. I was always here. I couldn't bare to watch anyone grow older anymore. . . goodbye, Taro."  
  
She smiled and let her hand slide off the edge without a sound.  
  
Her body began to fall.  
  
* Tell me your own politik.*  
  
And then,  
  
Realizing that he was too late,  
  
Taro remembered the voice that said his name-  
  
"LAAAAAAAAAAAAIN!!!!!!"  
  
*Open up your eyes, Open up your eyes,*  
  
Three, four, five tears fell from Taros eyes slowly.  
  
"Lain. . ."  
  
He forgot her. . .  
  
How could he ever forget Lain?!  
  
She was the only thing in the world he ever loved.  
  
Why did she-  
  
And how did-  
  
'. . . Why. . .' is what Taro continually thought as he couldn't bare to watch the girl he loved fall anymore. He took two steps back and trembled.  
  
"Why Lain? Why? I. . . I love you. Why did you do that, Lain? Why?"  
  
He couldn't get over it.  
  
*Open up your eyes,*  
  
As Lain fell to her final death, she whispered to her Navi far off in the distance that asked her a very difficult question.  
  
"ALL RESET?" The Navi spoke in almost code.  
  
Lain closed her eyes and smiled as her tears fell as well. 'I'm sorry Taro. . .' she thought.  
  
"Yes." She whispered.  
  
Her body hit the water with a hard splash that drove Taro almost insane. He blocked his ears as he heard the watery sound of death.  
  
But then-  
  
The eating heart came back.  
  
*Open up your eyes,*  
  
The night was cold, and Taro sat on the grass by the sleeping bay, watching the stars fall silent.  
  
*Just open up your eyes.*  
  
~*~  
  
~Ria 


End file.
